


Cat-astrophe

by Ill_Ratte



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, And that dirty kitty tail :3, Animal Shelter worker Nines, Cat boy Gavin, Gay Disaster Nines, Human Nines, M/M, Misgendering, Neko Au, Neko Gavin Reed, Nerdy Nines, Trans Gavin Reed, Vaginal Sex, handjobs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:53:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23387674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ill_Ratte/pseuds/Ill_Ratte
Summary: Nines is a lonely employee of his local animal shelter, just trying to slog through the day to day. But when Gavin, a runaway half-human, half-cat hybrid, is thrust into his care, maybe Nines will find something more in his work.
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 6
Kudos: 135





	Cat-astrophe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EmberSH](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmberSH/gifts).



> I’m so excited to share this! Please leave a comment if you like it :)

When Nines had first started at the animal shelter, he had wanted to make a difference. Just like the other five thousand starry eyed recruits who had wanted to end animal cruelty and bring about world peace and also maybe get a liveable wage in the process. The grind had been inescapable, unending, and overall the worst three years of Nines’s life. Despite his desire to leave a mark, he had nothing to show for his toils. But at least, he had the one thing that kept him treading water above the other recruits: Nines worked well with hybrids. 

Hybrids were a cross between human and wild animals, and not much else was known about them. They appeared to live in closed societies, with little to no contact from humans. No one knew how they were created, or anything else, for that matter. A few people kept them as pets, mostly the Nines and famous, people above the constant debate of the morality of keeping something so human as a pet. Most of the hybrid care was guesswork when they showed up on the shelter’s doorstep, and they were released shortly after. Nines’ one leg up was his skill in hybrid care. 

But even with his skills, the work had quickly grown monotonous. The few friends he had made had all dropped out, tails between their legs as they slunk off to easier, perhaps more fulfilling careers. And thus Nines was almost entirely alone when he clocked in. 

He had waited outside for almost an hour, watching different people pass in and out of the front entrance. Workers that he recognized, ones he didn’t recognize, and a few people, families with children either toddling behind or racing on ahead, looking to adopt. Nines liked to watch the families the most; while the workers had long since succumbed to the long hours and subpar pay, coupled with the stress of losing animals, the families at least kept happy faces. Nines could only wish for that. 

The receptionist at the desk looked at him mildly as he passed by, her lips pursed to form a guess at his name. He had seen her many times before, but he didn’t remember her name, and he knew that she didn’t remember his, either. Nines spared her with a quick wave as he ducked through, the white flash of his teeth being the only opening of his mouth in greeting. 

While the front room was cozy, walls clustered with framed pictures of families and their successful adoptees, as well as children’s books and a sunny view into the parking lot, the halls leading to the actual animals were sterile. Industrial white with bright lights, vets passing back and forth in pastel blue scrubs. No one stopped to wave to Nines, and Nines squinted through the glare as he made his way to the rows of cages in the back. 

His first task was to feed the cats. Cats were his favorite of the animals there; they seemed resigned to their temporary cages, at least retaining a little of the luster they had when first brought in. Some were a handful, of course, feral from birth and not exactly keen on coexisting in captivity, but all Nines needed to placate them was a plate of food. He preferred them to humans. 

As he stepped into the cat wing, a chorus of meows met his ears. Some were soft, like from the calico and the patched tabby that he had dubbed Melody and Harmony, others inquisitive, like from the newcomer Shadow, and some were screechy, like from Gargoyle and Dobby. “Hello.” Nines smiled, giving the room a wave. They didn’t wave back, of course, but Melody did reply to him, in her silky voice, so Nines started with her first. As he slid the bowl of food into her cage, reaching out to scratch behind her ears, one of his coworkers entered the room. 

“Yes?” Nines asked, not looking up from Melody. Sometimes, new recruits had questions for him; nothing that would take too much of his attention from the cats. 

“We need you in 15B. Got a new one just last night.” That was Nines’s supervisor. 

He glanced up. She looked tired. Haggard, even. “The hybrid room?” 

“Yeah. It’s uhh… a bit of a private matter, really, and we need someone with your special touch. I’ll have one of the interns finish up in here for you.” She gave him a pursed smile. 

“Alright, ma’am. I’ll get right on it.” 

Nines said goodbye to the cats, with an extra goodbye to Melody in the form of another scratch behind her ears. 

15B was only a bit of a walk away, just long enough for Nines to ruminate on what he had been put up against. They didn’t get many hybrids, with most that stumbled across their laps ending up in more long-term care facilities capable of taking care of them. The hybrid in question must have been discovered recently. 

When Nines arrived, he caught sight of someone waiting for him. Another coworker who had forgotten his name despite talking to him on multiple occasions. 

“Hybrids’ inside, but be careful; the little bastard scratches.” The wince, as well as the fresh bandage, told Nines they knew this from experience. 

Still, Nines had to hide his snort; most hybrid attacks came from sudden movement and disregarding of body language, as well as attempts to treat the hybrid as either all animal or all human. He had seen more than one of his colleagues get burned by a relatively harmless hybrid. “I’ll keep that in mind, thank you.” Smiling blandly, he swiped his ID badge and punched in the access code before opening the door. 

The first thing he noticed when he entered the room was that the hybrid had been caged. Usually, a pallet bed on the floor was sufficient for them, or a roost. While the wild animal in them made hybrids lash out, they still had enough reasoning to be trusted most times. That meant the new hybrid was either too aggressive or too scared to leave. The thick blanket thrown over the cage, blocking anything from view, lent credence to the “scared” theory. 

Nines went over to a tray on the little table set aside for human visitors, and selected a bright red, mouse-shaped stuffed toy. It was a little strange to see toys for house pets, but he figured it meant the hybrid was at least catlike. He approached the cage slowly, setting the toy down before it, and opened the door. 

Five minutes passed with no movement. Then, out came a tiny “mraw?” as a humanlike hand, save for dirty, unsheathed claws, poked out, swiping at the toy. It retreated with the mouse lanced straight through, the wet gnawing rumbling from the cage moments later. 

Nines smirked, and grabbed another toy from the table, this one blue and in the shape of a sauropod, and placed it about a foot away from the entrance to the cage. He sat down in the little wood chair beside the table to wait. 

This time, It took only two minutes for the hand to extend. Nines dropped another toy right after, one foot closer to himself. The hybrid grumbled, drawing the blue toy back inside, but a moment later, a head poked out. 

Nines blinked. The first thing that hit him was that the hybrid was a cross with a housecat. The slightly-erect, tawny and triangular ears told him that much. The second thing that hit him, as Nines deposited another toy close to his table, was that he was extremely handsome. He had remarkably well-kept facial hair, more stubble than beard, but obviously recently shaved, and intelligent green eyes that remained focused on the toys. 

The hybrid crouched down, springing forwards in an awkward pounce onto the fifth toy that Nines had dropped. 

The hybrid was entirely naked, and with their figure on display, Nines tried to look away. He had parsed them as male at first, but the presence of large breasts and lack of a penis (discounting the tiny nub poking almost obscenely from the hybrid’s privates) made him question it. ‘Perhaps they’re intersex?’ He mused, trying to get a better look. 

The hybrid eyed him lazily, as if to say “My eyes are up here, pal.” So Nines did the polite thing (for a cat, at least) and offered his hand out for them to smell. 

They gave a soft “Mrow??” at that, sniffing loudly before bonking their head against his hand. Nines chuckled, holding it open and letting the hybrid rub against it. Relaxing, he started to pet the hybrid more actively. 

“You’re not so scary, are you, kitty cat?” He laughed, scritching her cheek. The hybrid leaned into it, purring not unlike Melody. “You’re a very good girl when you want to be, aren’t you?” 

He might have been scratching wrong. Or unsatisfactorily. Or maybe the hybrid was done with his words or his touch. Because before Nines could pull away, white-hot teeth and claws crushed into his wrist. 

——————————————————

“You can still go home, you know.” The vet smiled kindly at him. “You know we can take it from here.”

“I know.” He repeated, for perhaps the thousandth time. 

“There’s not much to learn, anyways. We just found the poor thing stumbling around outside. She had a few cuts and bruises, and was slightly dehydrated.”

“So why didn’t we release them yet?” 

“We don’t know where she came from. It was like she was running from something, honestly. And… we’ve never really seen a housecat hybrid.”

“Never?” Nines hummed. It checked out, from what he knew, but earlier he had imagined they had just been rare. 

“Domesticated hybrids are unheard of. And… it looks like this one was tampered with. We had to cut a collar off of her.” The woman showed it to Nines. It was a black band, with a gold, heart-shaped pendant hanging from it, emblazoned with “Gavin”. “And there are injection marks here, multiple by the looks of it.” The nurse rolled the hybrid over, showing tiny, scabbed over pokes in the hybrid’s ass. 

“So you think they had an owner?”

“An abusive one, maybe, judging by the reactions to people.”

Nines winced, rubbing his hand. The bandage made it look much worse than it actually was, but the sting was unmistakably present. The real battle would be to keep it from getting infected. “So you think the collar has the name of the owner?”

“Yes. But… no contact information, which is strange.” 

Nines’s eyes narrowed. It just didn’t make sense. Unless… the name on the collar belonged to the hybrid. “Alright. Tell me when they wake up, ok?” 

“We’ll notify you first thing.”  
————

Nines wondered exactly how much of an idiot he was to be back in the room so soon. 

The hybrid, Gavin, glared at him from inside the cage, eyes glowing a menacing green in the darkness. Nines steeled himself, reaching for one of the toys on the table besides him. He dropped it with a plop in front of the cage entrance. 

This time, Gavin came out quicker, sticking his claws out and hooking the toy into his mouth. He made eye contact with Nines while crunching it between his jaws. 

Nines smiled weakly, placing a green speckled mouse with pink felt ears on his palm, and flattening it for Gavin to sniff at. “Here, boy.” He hummed. 

Gavin’s eyes narrowed, and the toy dropped from his mouth as he stepped forwards. His ears remained back, not quite flattened against him but still in a defensive position, as he stalked towards Nines. 

Nines braced himself for teeth. Instead, Gavin gently bumped his nose against his palm, snuffling at the toy before taking it. The hybrid gnawed on it placidly, eyes slightly glazed as it watched Nines. Catnip toys had been the right choice. 

When Gavin grew tired of the toy, spitting it out and batting it listlessly between his hands, Nines offered him a treat of a few gummy bears sans packaging, jiggling on his palm. 

Gavin grunted louder, smushing his face into his hand and chuffing happily as he nibbled at the treats, only catching Nines’ hand a little. 

Nines grinned, tentatively placing his hand in Gavin’s hair. “Good boy. Good Gavin.” 

Gavin stiffened, green eyes regarding Nines intently. Nines kept his hand in place, thrumming with heat. Finally, Gavin closed his eyes, letting out a little purr as he pushed into the hand. “Good Gavin!” Nines laughed, cupping Gavin’s face as the hybrid rubbed against him. 

Eventually he withdrew his hand, searching in his pocket for more treats. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gavin’s ass twitching, tail swaying back and forth, but he didn’t think much of it. Until Gavin crashed into his lap like a rocket. 

“Fuck!” Nines yelped, struggling not to topple over as Gavin purred and kneaded his legs, finally settling with a thump, his entire weight pressing into Nines’s lap. 

Nines squirmed, but Gavin showed no sign of moving. A loud, rumbling purr left Gavin as he dug in his claws ever so slightly, tail swishing to curl around Nines’s leg. It seemed Nines had a long few days ahead of him. 

————————————-

Over the next few days, Nines and Gavin settled into a routine. First he fed Gavin his breakfast, petting the hybrid as he stuffed it into his face with his hands, then played with him for as long as he could bear. Gavin liked the feather-on-a-fishing-rod toy the most, his green eyes burning whenever he prepared to pounce. The back of Nines’s mind still feared that Gavin would grow bored with the feather and come after his hands instead. 

After play came nap, which Nines used as his own nap time and to finish paperwork, then bathtime. Gavin went to his bath hissing and screaming, but when actually being washed, the “naughtiest” thing he did was present his privates just a little too much to Nines. Not that he was bothered, of course; any blush came from the steam. Not glittering green eyes boring into his as Gavin “accidentally” brushed his pubic mound against Nines’s hand. 

And yet, for the first time in years, Nines felt compelled to stay later and later. He had never connected with his human coworkers the way he connected with Gavin. Even without speaking, Gavin was different. He never shied away from Nines, and after playtime was over, he seemed content to listen to whatever Nines rambled on about. Whether that be his (lack of) love life, or how lonely he was, or how he really wanted a pet for his apartment, but his landlady didn’t allow pets and Mrs Norberts would snitch on him even if he tried, and that he didn’t have the time for one anyways. It was nice to have someone who listened, even if the attention came from the other’s inability to speak. 

Nines dreaded the day he’d have to give   
Gavin up. 

“Aren’t you a pretty kitty?” Nines cooed, patting Gavin’s head. Gavin meowed in answer, butting against him before gnawing lightly on his fingers. 

Nines was supposed to be focusing on work, but Gavin was too cute for that. Nines could have whiled all of his time away in the room, if not for the knock on the door. 

“Hello?” Nines called. Gavin froze. 

“We have someone here to see the hybrid. Says he’s their owner.”

Gavin hissed, skittering away from Nines and hiding under the cage. A second later, the door swung open, and a young man stepped into the room. He had a black ponytail undercut, two earrings dangling from his left ear, and a playful grin more fit for a shark than a human. While the man was dressed like every douchey tech bro that had made fun of Nines for not pursuing a “serious” career in college, he looked more familiar than the archetype implied. Like with the multitude of small-time celebrities that Nines had too little time to care about, Nines felt like he had seen him before. 

“You own a hybrid?” Nines asked dumbly. 

“Own is a strong word. Gavin is simply under my care. My family found him when he was just a child, and it fell to me to care for him when my parents passed. Unfortunately, he cannot survive in the wild, so I was relieved when I heard that your facility had found him.”

“How do we know he’s even yours?” Nines sniffed. Usually he had far more composure with adopters, but Gavin’s reactions to the man made Nines’ stomach drop. Internally, he brushed away a fantasy of Gavin tearing into the man. 

“I know his name, his birthday, what he looks like. And that he was wearing a black collar with Gavin printed on the gold, heart-shaped label. Now please, let me see my hybrid.” 

The attendant besides him grimaced. “It all checks out, Nines. We’re just having him affirm that the ‘brid is his, and we’ll send him home with Mr. Kamski tomorrow.” 

Kamski’s grin widened, and he crouched in front of Gavin. Nines waited almost gleefully for the claws to come out. 

Instead, Gavin froze. He stayed still as Kamski petted his hair, then cupped his face. The only movement from Gavin was his pupils widening as Kamski stroked him. 

“You won’t run off from me again, now will you?” Kamski crooned into his ear, low enough that Nines had to strain to catch it. Gavin shuddered. Then shook his head. 

Kamski nodded, pulling another, makeshift collar out of his pocket and cinching it around Gavin’s neck. Gavin stayed still throughout, save for his trembling. “I trust I’m free to take Gavin home.” Kamski addressed the vet. 

“Well, he does seem to recognize you. We just need to finish up the paperwork, and you can take him home.”

Kamski’s face puckered in a frown, but he nodded. “I’ll hold you to that.” 

Nines wanted to believe it was for the best that Gavin had been found. But he couldn’t shake off the look Gavin had given him, eyes blown wide in fear, when Kamski had touched him. He never wanted to see that look on Gavin’s face again. 

——————————-

Night had idled outside of the center parking lot for a good two hours after closing, thinking over his options. A heap of wrappers clumped together at his feet was all he had to show for his deliberation. 

In all of Nines’ life, he had been cautious, a coward, someone to sit back and theorize instead of acting. He wasn’t even supposed to _be_ there. He was supposed to be back at his apartment, watching “I love Lucy” or whatever nature documentary that Netflix had made available. Not risking fines or even prison time. Sure, he had already stolen an ID badge, but he could easily return it the next day, saying he had found it at the end of his shift. 

But here he was, still in the parking lot. 

Nines took a deep breath, and stepped out of the car. The night felt surprisingly calm against what churned inside of Nines. A slight breeze brushed against him, like an invisible hand pushing him onward. 

Security around the shelter was horrifically lax, enough that Nines had complained about it himself when supplies had gone missing, but now he thanked the shelter’s low budget. The one security camera hardly functioned and only tracked the main lobby. 

He had never made a journey like this, especially not so late at night, and each noise emanating from the scrubby woods surrounding the center made him jump. As he picked his way to the back entrance, he tried to put a name to each of the calls, to place them in a less terrifying state. 

When Nines met the back entrance, all of the air whooshed out of him. He had left it unlocked, and now he pushed the door open, marveling at how easily it gave way. 

Once inside, the thumping of his heart slowed. Here was his home base, where he knew the dark hallways even with his eyes closed. 

The only noise came from the animals settling in their cages, and Nines’ measured footsteps didn’t add much. He made it to the hybrid room, swiping the ID card he had stolen from his coworker before entering the pin. As the door unlocked with a gentle “whoosh”, he crept inside. Green eyes peered up at him from the gloom. 

“Hey.” Nines said, and a small purr left Gavin. The hybrid brushed his face up against the bars of the cage, purr rumbling louder. It was like Gavin had been waiting for him. 

In that moment, Nines knew everything was going to be alright. 

He unlatched the cage, grinning as Gavin padded out. The hybrid wasted no time in latching onto him, legs wrapping around his waist while Gavin’s arms encircled his neck. 

They made it out of the center in record time. It was almost surreal, Gavin’s tail swishing happily as Nines carried him. Even in the gloom, Gavin had a handsome face, and Nines almost felt like he was with another person. Gavin even allowed himself to be buckled upright in the passenger's seat, taking the beanie Nines had brought him, as well as the jacket, with little fuss. 

The drive to Nines’ apartment was silent save for the soft huff of Gavin’s breathing. Gavin was surprisingly calm, staring intently out of the window as the world whizzed past. 

As they pulled into Nines’s driveway, Nines put the car in park before brushing his palms against the legs of his pants. He didn’t want to leave the car. If he left now, it would be real, and there would be no going back. 

“You uhh, you can leave if you want. You can go into the woods and shit, and be with your people. But… my apartment is lonely, and I’d enjoy the company.” He opened the door for Gavin and unbuckled him. Not that the hybrid would understand a word of it, of course, except for the offer of freedom. 

Nines swallowed hard, staring at the steering wheel. He waited for Gavin to get out, to scamper off and forget about him, now that he was free. After all, Nines was only a blip on his radar, a means of freedom and nothing more. 

Warm arms wrapped around Nines, crushing him in a hug. Gavin’s face pressed up right against his. In a broken voice not unlike a purr, Gavin whispered “Thank you for everything, Nines.”

And then he kissed him. 

What happened next was still a bit of a blur. Somehow, Nines got Gavin into his apartment, and somehow, Nines’ pants were shucked onto the floor, and somehow, Gavin was whispering the dirtiest things that Nines’ mind couldn’t possibly conjure into Nines’ ears, all in the same scratchy voice that wasn’t quite a purr. 

Nines didn’t have time to think about how his sheets were messy, or that he hadn’t picked up his room in what felt like years, or that way too many takeout containers spilled out of his trash can. All he could focus on was Gavin staring down at him, eyes burning. 

Gavin’s hand descended, tugging at Nines’ half-erect cock, and Nines rutted against the motion. It was quick, almost animal, the touch a means to an end of getting him hard, his warm hands just a bit too rough. Nines ached when Gavin let go. 

Gavin let out a guttural purr, crouching and aligning Nines’ cock with his cunt. Nines shuddered even at the soft touch of the hand on his dick. Something glittered in Gavin’s eyes, and instead of letting Nines enter him, he rubbed his engorged clit against the head of Nines’ cock. 

Nines jerked, shutting his eyes and balling his fists against the bed to keep himself from orgasm. Gavin purred louder, rubbing harder against Nines with his nub. Just when Nines was sure he would come undone, Gavin halted, grinning down at Nines before grasping his cock and sliding on top of him. 

“Fuuck!” Nines whined. He couldn’t move. Gavin was so goddamn tight on him, and if he shifted his hips even a little, he knew that he would release. 

Gavin didn’t seem to mind. The rumbling purr grew louder as Gavin lifted himself up, eyes boring straight into Nines’ own. He kept their eyes locked even as he bounced up and down on Nines’ dick, ears back against his head and tail swishing with each bounce. 

“Fuck! Fuck! Oh Jesus fuck!” Nines groaned, screwing his eyes shut. He let the sensations take over, basking in the pulsing glow of Gavin surrounding him in a vice. 

Gavin dug his claws into Nines’ shoulders, yowling along with him as he pressed his cunt flush against Nines’ pubic mound. At the pressure, Nines’ eyes snapped open, and locked on Gavin’s chest. Even in the middle of intercourse, it felt dirty and lewd to watch, but Gavin’s tits bounced at a mesmerizing rate. 

Gavin must have caught Nines staring, because even through his ecstasy, an evil grin darted across his face. Before Nines could react, Gavin leaned down, pressing his tits up against Nines’ face. 

Nines bucked hard, halfway hearing the increased moans from Gavin as his cunt tightened around Nines. Gavin’s chest pushed against him, warm and hairy and overwhelming. Nines let his tongue explore, sucking on one of Gavin’s peaked nipples and relishing the heat. Gavin purred louder. 

Gavin’s tail curled between Nines’ legs, exploring with a feather-light touch. Nines bucked up harder into Gavin, relishing the grunt and moan of surprise, and how Gavin’s claws dug into his shoulders in response. “Faster!” Gavin whined. Nines tried to comply, flicking his hips up and whining. 

Gavin’s tail tip brushed over his asshole, and Nines’ limbs locked as he came. White hot semen shot out of him, milked by Gavin’s cunt clenching down. As he tried not to pass out, he was dimly aware of Gavin’s yowling as his claws dug hard into Nines' back. 

When the sparks and pulsing faded, Gavin slumped over, slipping off of Nines and cuddling into his chest, purring like a motorboat. Weakly, Nines petted his back. 

“Will you two fucking keep it down in there?” Shouted one of his neighbors, Mrs. Norberta. Red shot through Nines’ face, and Gavin stiffened besides him. 

“I never liked her much, anyways.” Nines mumbled, scratching behind Gavin’s ears. “And you’re a very good boy, Gavin.” 

“Not as good as you.” Gavin murmured, taking Nines’ hand in his. It was a small gesture, one microcosm of touch between them. 

But to Nines, it meant everything.


End file.
